Pediatricians Now Have Option to Pay MOC Enrollment Fee Annually

You are here

Pediatricians who enroll or re-enroll in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) with the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) may now choose to break up their fee into annual payments. Alternately, if they prefer, they may choose to pay the full 5-year fee up front when they enroll in a new MOC cycle.

“Some board-certified pediatricians have asked for this, and we are pleased to accommodate them while still maintaining the previous method of paying fees” said Virginia Moyer, MD, MPH.

Dr. Moyer, ABP’s Vice President of MOC and Quality, said that many pediatricians have shared with the ABP their desire to use professional development funds they receive from the hospital or practice where they work to cover all or part of their fee.

“The current fee of $275 per year for one certification area is lower than many of the other annual fees pediatricians pay,” she said.

Pediatricians who choose the annual payment option may end their certification in the middle of a five-year cycle without having to pay for the remaining years. For example, someone who retires or takes an extended leave (more than one year) would not have to pay for the years in which they do not need to be certified.

MOC fees cover the costs of developing, providing, and administering the ABP’s MOC activities that promote lifelong learning with self-assessment and quality improvement (QI). Enrolled pediatricians have access to free ABP-developed activities to help fulfill MOC requirements. In addition to MOC points, almost all ABP-developed activities also award CME credit for no additional charge.

“It’s possible to complete the MOC process without incurring any fees beyond your MOC enrollment if you choose to use ABP-developed activities,” said Dr. Moyer. “There may be additional fees to cover the cost of a QI project application or for approved activities developed by other organizations.”

In addition, MOC fees that traditionally have covered the cost of one exam application every 10 years now cover the cost of developing and providing MOCA-Peds, the ABP’s new web-based assessment platform. Those who prefer to not participate in MOCA-Peds have the option to take the proctored examination at a secure testing center for an additional fee of $265, which covers the costs charged by the testing center and associated expenses.

The enrollment fee for those who choose to pay for the entire five-year cycle remains at $1,304 (non-refundable) for 2018. Although MOC fees are subject to change, the ABP Board of Directors has not raised fees for the past three years.

Visit the MOC Enrollment and Fees page for more information about the cost to maintain more than one ABP certification and how and when to enroll in MOC.